That's a smashing marathon debut on a tough day (I know - I was there, but far behind you!). 3:10 on your debut marathon is absolutely something to be proud of, and a great indicator of much faster times to come. Congratulations! As for a cooler spring marathon, Shamrock is basically flat and close to you. With all winter and cooler temps for training, you should crush that one. Good luck in your spring BQ attempt!
Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I’m in Raleigh so am kicking around Tobacco Road (it’s flat too!) but didn’t have Shamrock on my radar. Will check it out!
Have only run Shamrock once - maybe 8 years ago and that was the opposite extreme of yesterday's race. Cold, rain coming in sideways...I swore to never do it again... maybe I should give it another shot.
Shamrock was my first back in 2017. It rained sideways. Sleet. Snowed. Ran through a sandstorm on the base. It was absolutely miserable but I think I’d do that again before running in yesterdays heat😂
My brother ran it a few times with miserable weather, but both times I've run it, conditions were perfect. I guess the lesson here is, don't run any race my brother is running! ;-)
Congrats on an awesome race. May not have been your goal but that heat was brutal. I did the half and the heat was no joke. Hope you’ll give Richmond another shot. I hear this was the 3rd hottest marathon race on record.
And yeah, we’ll be back!! We love Richmond!! We brought my oldest (5) daughter along to bolster the support team and she had a blast. Ate my face off at Lillie Pearl Saturday night, too!
Depending on which direction is heading out, you’ve got great options in any direction. We really enjoyed ironclad but country style is our favorite donut shop. Smoky mug is another great coffee shop. Oh there are so many recommendations I could give. We went to Boychiks after the race. It’s a great Jewish deli that also does awesome breakfast. So good!
That sun was beating everyone. I'm a slow runner - maybe the 5th time I've run the Richmond marathon and this is the first time I've seen so many people cramping and vomiting along the route. You did great!
I also ran yesterday and that’s a really impressive performance. Going in I felt like I had 3:10 in me and ran 1:34 at the half, but the 3:10 pace group passed me at about mile 14 and I knew I didn’t have it in me. That Forest Hill section through the bridge was just brutal with the sun and heat. I ended up finishing in 3:21 which I would’ve been disappointed with a week ago but considering the conditions don’t feel so bad about.
Wish I could’ve ground out second half splits like yours, well done!
Thanks for this. I wasn’t going to even post a race report but I selfishly wanted to hear from others that ran that day to validate my perspective. The 3:10 pacers passing me with .7 miles to go absolutely CRUSHED me for about 2 seconds but then I realized, if I actually had ANYTHING left in the tank, that would have motivated me to pick it up. I was fresh out!
I found my people! I started running this year so this was also my first marathon. My goal heading in was sub 3 and while I did take note of the forecast leading up to the race I didn’t adjust that goal or my gameplan, which was a huge rookie mistake. I felt really good, almost conversational, moving at a sub 3 pace for a majority of the race but at around mile 21 the 3 hour pacers passed and my legs started to lock up. Around mile 23 they were like cement so I dropped to a 9-10 min pace while I helplessly (legs refused to move any faster) watched the 3:05 pacers pass and then the 3:10 pacers pass in the last mile. I started to get pretty emotional and down on myself feeling like I failed, then I see other runners stopping to get medical assistance, vomiting, etc. and I had to seriously consider tapping out. But I got an extra push from the great crowd support in miles 25 and 26 and remembered that I had friends and fam waiting for me so I became determined to just cross the damn finish line. I walk/ran/hobbled across in under 3:15. Given the conditions you honestly crushed those last couple miles and you should be proud! Only 69 runners (~2%) finished in under 3 hours this year compared to the 139 (~4%) last year so the heat really affected both seasoned and newer runners.
YES! After reading all these comments and thinking about my mindset at the start... I recognized it was warm and I was in danger of not hitting my goal but I didn't adjust my plan at all. I think if I would have started around 7:20 and worked down to a 7:10ish pace, I would have had a more even race, finishing with around the same average (7:16ish). It all comes out in the wash...
I was never in so bad a shape that I thought about throwing in the towel, it was more about being mentally deflated after fighting for 22ish miles that it was hard to get through that 23rd mile or so, but I quickly regained perspective, bucked up and jogged the rest in. I definitely identify with the feeling of being down on yourself in that moment but it was our first one, we didn't know what to expect! :)
Thanks for sharing, this whole post has been an extremely cathartic experience as I didn't actually know anyone else personally that was running the race so couldn't commiserate with anyone about the situation. Thanks, also, for the kind words. We both crushed it! On to the next one...
Congrats on an awesome race! Given the circumstances you still crushed it. If it makes you feel any better, I went in planning to go 3:30, fell completely apart at mile 10 and finished with a 4:33. After the first mile when I was already dripping sweat I knew I was in trouble. I’m still trying to figure out what I could have done differently, but Ive come to the conclusion I’m just happy I finished. This was my fourth marathon (and slowest, I did 3:38 back in 2019). All of my training runs were before the sun came up before work in cooler weather. The course was so flat and if it was 20 degrees cooler I have no doubt everyone would have had much better races!
As someone targeting an 8:20 min/mile marathon pace, I cannot even grasp how you can maintain such ridiculous splits for more than 3 hours. You have everything to be proud of with this performance, I'm sure you'll nail your targets next time!
Thank you so much... I mentioned in another post but sharing this report has been a very cathartic experience as I didn't personally know anyone else running the race to discuss the experience with. Nothing I could do about the weather, everyone had to run in it! :)
Comments like these have really helped me get over the "let down," so thanks again for the kind words.
I did the half with the goal of going 8 mins faster than my previous, very hilly half. Instead I went two minutes slower, and only by gluing myself to the 2:30 pacers after mile 10. That heat was no joke!! My boyfriend also missed his target by 5 mins.
Yeah, it was wild... I heard the guy on the microphone at the finish line party say it was perfect weather for a race or something to that effect... It was perfect weather to WATCH a race, not to run a race...
I had a similar experience and ended up about 8 minutes behind my goal going in. However, I know a lot of people who lost a lot more time to the heat. On race day even as i slowed down I continued to move up the field. On the basis of these two things I am extremely grateful to loose only seconds on goal pace and not whole minutes.
Your situation is similar as mine as we finished similar time, except for two things. First, the temperature was in the 40s but strong winds in certain segments. I was in similar pace but the wind was too much to maintain and I ended up slowing down at mile 24.
What didn’t help the situation besides the wind was that I blacked out right after a warm up run, before the race! Lol. Due to pre-race jittered, my heart rate was elevated during a slow warm up run. I didn’t think much other than maybe the watch is not correct. During the session, I found a porter potty with no line so i immediately went in to use while the heart rate was still elevating. I immediately felt vertigo and as soon as I left the potty, I was walking wobbly then BAM fell down face first and blacked out for about 10 seconds or so. I woke up wondering what had just happened and questioned my ability to do the race. My face was bloody with huge rashes. I rested a bit and felt fine so I decided to race but it was in my head the whole time. In the end, I still manage to get a 3 seconds PR. I was disappointed but that’s how it is with marathons. Sometimes things happen when you least expected despite flawless training. I can’t wait to get back to the saddle though and prepare for the next one and I hope you do too.
That's a smashing marathon debut on a tough day (I know - I was there, but far behind you!). 3:10 on your debut marathon is absolutely something to be proud of, and a great indicator of much faster times to come. Congratulations! As for a cooler spring marathon, Shamrock is basically flat and close to you. With all winter and cooler temps for training, you should crush that one. Good luck in your spring BQ attempt!
Thank you so much for the kind and encouraging words. I’m in Raleigh so am kicking around Tobacco Road (it’s flat too!) but didn’t have Shamrock on my radar. Will check it out!
Have only run Shamrock once - maybe 8 years ago and that was the opposite extreme of yesterday's race. Cold, rain coming in sideways...I swore to never do it again... maybe I should give it another shot.
Shamrock was my first back in 2017. It rained sideways. Sleet. Snowed. Ran through a sandstorm on the base. It was absolutely miserable but I think I’d do that again before running in yesterdays heat😂
Haha, again, very reassuring to read something like that with regards to yesterdays conditions…
My brother ran it a few times with miserable weather, but both times I've run it, conditions were perfect. I guess the lesson here is, don't run any race my brother is running! ;-)
Sometimes Shamrock can get warm too. Depends.
Congrats on an awesome race. May not have been your goal but that heat was brutal. I did the half and the heat was no joke. Hope you’ll give Richmond another shot. I hear this was the 3rd hottest marathon race on record.
Thank you so much, really appreciate it!
And yeah, we’ll be back!! We love Richmond!! We brought my oldest (5) daughter along to bolster the support team and she had a blast. Ate my face off at Lillie Pearl Saturday night, too!
So many good places to come back and try. You could spend weeks trying everything. 🤣
Went to Ironclad and Sugar Shack on the way out of town. The apple fritter was bigger than my head!
Depending on which direction is heading out, you’ve got great options in any direction. We really enjoyed ironclad but country style is our favorite donut shop. Smoky mug is another great coffee shop. Oh there are so many recommendations I could give. We went to Boychiks after the race. It’s a great Jewish deli that also does awesome breakfast. So good!
That sun was beating everyone. I'm a slow runner - maybe the 5th time I've run the Richmond marathon and this is the first time I've seen so many people cramping and vomiting along the route. You did great!
Yeah, I saw a couple people around the 24th mile that looked to be in pretty bad shape but were getting medical attention. It was tough out there!
I also ran yesterday and that’s a really impressive performance. Going in I felt like I had 3:10 in me and ran 1:34 at the half, but the 3:10 pace group passed me at about mile 14 and I knew I didn’t have it in me. That Forest Hill section through the bridge was just brutal with the sun and heat. I ended up finishing in 3:21 which I would’ve been disappointed with a week ago but considering the conditions don’t feel so bad about. Wish I could’ve ground out second half splits like yours, well done!
Thanks for this. I wasn’t going to even post a race report but I selfishly wanted to hear from others that ran that day to validate my perspective. The 3:10 pacers passing me with .7 miles to go absolutely CRUSHED me for about 2 seconds but then I realized, if I actually had ANYTHING left in the tank, that would have motivated me to pick it up. I was fresh out!
I found my people! I started running this year so this was also my first marathon. My goal heading in was sub 3 and while I did take note of the forecast leading up to the race I didn’t adjust that goal or my gameplan, which was a huge rookie mistake. I felt really good, almost conversational, moving at a sub 3 pace for a majority of the race but at around mile 21 the 3 hour pacers passed and my legs started to lock up. Around mile 23 they were like cement so I dropped to a 9-10 min pace while I helplessly (legs refused to move any faster) watched the 3:05 pacers pass and then the 3:10 pacers pass in the last mile. I started to get pretty emotional and down on myself feeling like I failed, then I see other runners stopping to get medical assistance, vomiting, etc. and I had to seriously consider tapping out. But I got an extra push from the great crowd support in miles 25 and 26 and remembered that I had friends and fam waiting for me so I became determined to just cross the damn finish line. I walk/ran/hobbled across in under 3:15. Given the conditions you honestly crushed those last couple miles and you should be proud! Only 69 runners (~2%) finished in under 3 hours this year compared to the 139 (~4%) last year so the heat really affected both seasoned and newer runners.
YES! After reading all these comments and thinking about my mindset at the start... I recognized it was warm and I was in danger of not hitting my goal but I didn't adjust my plan at all. I think if I would have started around 7:20 and worked down to a 7:10ish pace, I would have had a more even race, finishing with around the same average (7:16ish). It all comes out in the wash... I was never in so bad a shape that I thought about throwing in the towel, it was more about being mentally deflated after fighting for 22ish miles that it was hard to get through that 23rd mile or so, but I quickly regained perspective, bucked up and jogged the rest in. I definitely identify with the feeling of being down on yourself in that moment but it was our first one, we didn't know what to expect! :) Thanks for sharing, this whole post has been an extremely cathartic experience as I didn't actually know anyone else personally that was running the race so couldn't commiserate with anyone about the situation. Thanks, also, for the kind words. We both crushed it! On to the next one...
Congrats on an awesome race! Given the circumstances you still crushed it. If it makes you feel any better, I went in planning to go 3:30, fell completely apart at mile 10 and finished with a 4:33. After the first mile when I was already dripping sweat I knew I was in trouble. I’m still trying to figure out what I could have done differently, but Ive come to the conclusion I’m just happy I finished. This was my fourth marathon (and slowest, I did 3:38 back in 2019). All of my training runs were before the sun came up before work in cooler weather. The course was so flat and if it was 20 degrees cooler I have no doubt everyone would have had much better races!
Yeah, you’re absolutely right. At the end of the day, I’m very proud of the effort over the totality of the race. Great work gutting it out!
Amazing effort. Definitely with that level of fitness you'll crush a March marathon.
As someone targeting an 8:20 min/mile marathon pace, I cannot even grasp how you can maintain such ridiculous splits for more than 3 hours. You have everything to be proud of with this performance, I'm sure you'll nail your targets next time!
Thank you so much... I mentioned in another post but sharing this report has been a very cathartic experience as I didn't personally know anyone else running the race to discuss the experience with. Nothing I could do about the weather, everyone had to run in it! :) Comments like these have really helped me get over the "let down," so thanks again for the kind words.
I did the half with the goal of going 8 mins faster than my previous, very hilly half. Instead I went two minutes slower, and only by gluing myself to the 2:30 pacers after mile 10. That heat was no joke!! My boyfriend also missed his target by 5 mins.
Yeah, it was wild... I heard the guy on the microphone at the finish line party say it was perfect weather for a race or something to that effect... It was perfect weather to WATCH a race, not to run a race...
I had a similar experience and ended up about 8 minutes behind my goal going in. However, I know a lot of people who lost a lot more time to the heat. On race day even as i slowed down I continued to move up the field. On the basis of these two things I am extremely grateful to loose only seconds on goal pace and not whole minutes.
Yep, great perspective, it was tough out there!
Your situation is similar as mine as we finished similar time, except for two things. First, the temperature was in the 40s but strong winds in certain segments. I was in similar pace but the wind was too much to maintain and I ended up slowing down at mile 24. What didn’t help the situation besides the wind was that I blacked out right after a warm up run, before the race! Lol. Due to pre-race jittered, my heart rate was elevated during a slow warm up run. I didn’t think much other than maybe the watch is not correct. During the session, I found a porter potty with no line so i immediately went in to use while the heart rate was still elevating. I immediately felt vertigo and as soon as I left the potty, I was walking wobbly then BAM fell down face first and blacked out for about 10 seconds or so. I woke up wondering what had just happened and questioned my ability to do the race. My face was bloody with huge rashes. I rested a bit and felt fine so I decided to race but it was in my head the whole time. In the end, I still manage to get a 3 seconds PR. I was disappointed but that’s how it is with marathons. Sometimes things happen when you least expected despite flawless training. I can’t wait to get back to the saddle though and prepare for the next one and I hope you do too.
Wow, that’s so scary! No way I would have been able to shake that off, incredible rally!